*On Obedience*

I used to be really obedient.  I was the shy, insecure kid who just went with the crowd.  In class, I would almost always obey the teacher.  I wasn't the smartest or the dumbest. I would not mess around, and even if I wasn't listening, I would try to make it look like I was.  I was just in the in-between.  Life was stressful there. Always trying to do the right thing in my OWN strength.  However, in my mind raged rebellion.  Even though I would obey on the exterior, I would stand my ground in my mind.  I learned the hard way that rebellion gets you nowhere really quickly.  I don't even remember when I grasped the concept, perhaps I am just learning now as I type, but I know that GOD desires obedience over sacrifice.

What does this even mean?  Obedience??  Sounds so juvenile! I am an adult, so does this still apply to me?  I think of Luke (my growing three year old son).  He is always trying to do his OWN thing.  And I am always trying to get him to obey me.  I am always like, "Luke, listen to mommy's words!"  I see how hard it is for him to obey.  His battle within is evident all through his body language.  He doesn't like to be told what to do.  He just wants to be free.  A perfect example just happened a few days ago.  Luke always squirms on his chair.  He cannot sit still.  Frank and I are constantly reminding him to sit still.  We tell him, "be careful Luke; you are going to fall down."  Well sure enough, he fell and cut open his chin.  He was so upset and scared.  Poor thing!  Were we being controlling and mean parents by reminding and warning him to sit still? No! We were looking out for him.

Luke is so like us! We want to do our own thing and God is like, "listen to MY WORDS." Whoa! We try to run and hide. We fight back.  We do our own thing, and the whole time, God is like the parent just trying to get His child to obey.  Disobedience is us elevating our will over God's.  It's saying, I know what's best; you don't!

Saul struggled with the same issue.  He chose to disobey God and do what he thought was right.  In 1 Samuel 15, God commands Saul to kill all of the Amalekites, and do not spare any of them.  Because Saul fears the people, he obeys their voice and not God's.  He spares their king and keeps the best of the spoils.  Because of his disobedience, he loses his kingdom.  What a terrible loss disobedience brings. Samuel was so grieved he cried out  to God all night on Saul's behalf.   Samuel then had to finish Saul's work by killing King Agag, and from that day on they never saw each other again.  Why did Saul disobey!?!  Could it be that he failed to realize that, "he was not a sovereign and independent ruler like others...Instead he was an agent and representative of the divine King?"  So like Saul, we too are not independent rulers of our own lives.  We are agents of Christ.  We are pilgrims on a journey receiving our directions through His words.  Has Christ called you to obey in a specific area of your life?  Are you?

"But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' 
Jeremiah 7:23

How precious.  What a perfect Savior.

In Him & until next time,

Darla

On Prayer

As a teen I remember a phone call with my grandma where I shared my longing to become a missionary. Her response is what made the conversation so memorable.  She said that I needed to become a woman of prayer.  When she said that, I remember sadness well up within me.  I knew at that point in my life, I was not a woman of prayer.  I wanted to be; I tried to be, but I could never attain.  Now many years later...I am reminded of her words.  They echo in my heart and mind compelling me to evolve into a woman of prayer.

MY ETA

I am currently in the Old Testament.  This has been a journey in itself.  I have never fully read through the O.T.  I know, bad! Thanks to my Husband, Frank, I am reading through from Genesis to Malachi. I was always afraid of the O.T. Weird huh?  I do not know why.  I just loved reading the New Testament and hearing about my Jesus and His love for me.  I worried that I would  not understand the O.T. or that it would be boring.  Surprisingly or not, I was SO wrong.  I love reading about real men and women who failed miserably and were victorious.  They inspire me.  From Abraham to Deborah, I am enamored by the practical pictures of faith. Now in 1 Samuel, the faithfulness and compassion of God has been made crystal clear to me.  Although the Israelites continually forsake God, He continually takes them back.  I feel like my life is being played out B.C. style.  I mean how many times have I done my own thing, thinking I got it all together when news check...I don't!  How many times do I prioritize terribly leaving my devotion time until the end of the day. Yet, in spite of all this, My God is faithful.

In chapter 12 of I Samuel, the people finally get their way.  They beg and plead for a king to rule over them, because they are not content with GOD's sovereign rule.  Saul has been anointed king, and they are given a warning.  Samuel shares, "Fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart.  For consider what great things He has done for you.  But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king"      (1 Samuel 12:24-25)  Sometimes the simplicity of God is so complex.  We are given the answers before the tests, yet we still fail.  I have not read what happens, but I can guarantee that the Israelites fail.  That is what blows me away.  Even in our sin and filth He loves us.
   
A few verses before this Samuel cries, "far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." This is was stood out to me.  His dedication to the people in prayer is convicting. These men and women were hopeless, yet Samuel was fully dedicated to them in prayer.  This scene caused me to look at my own life.  What areas in my life seem hopeless?  What areas had I given up on.  Where had I allowed cobwebs and complacency to settle in?  Contemplating this made me yearn for a deeper prayer life.  One commentary stated,
      "Prayerlessness is the epitome of selfishness, because       failure to pray for others means I am withholding that which would so greatly bless them...Prayer is the proof of love, and love is the product of prayer...a person who prays is humble because he knows that without the Lord, He can't do anything."
  No words... literally. Just conviction. At that moment, I had an epiphany!  This is what my grandma was talking about.  It all made sense.  The last piece of the puzzle was in place and I could see the full picture.  Prayer is power.  There are so many areas in my life that could use some power.  I needed to stop fighting and striving and start praying.  

That is where I am.  I have been admonished; now I must respond.  

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3)  

In Him & until next time,

Darla

*Therefore I will hope in HIM*

So where to begin?  

Let me start by sharing why I decided to start a blog. As you may or may not know, my family and I will be leaving to Mallorca, Spain in January to become FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES!! I know, I never thought I would say or type those words in my life.  I have always had the desire to be a missionary, but the longing was so far out of reach that I felt it would NEVER happen.  Crazy thing is, God planted the desire on Frank's heart without giving me a heads up.  I was like Say What???  All I knew was that the Holy Spirit wanted me to share with Frank one night, after he taught Bible study in High School ministry, that I would follow him no matter where the LORD led him.  Come to find out, Frank had been praying about Spain for some time.  When he unveiled the news to me my heart was in shock.  I was like, are these words really coming from FRANK...my husband, Frank Anthony Mayorga Jr.??? WOW, Lord, I know you can do anything, but this blows me away.  For Frank to answer such a call, was like Jonah answering the call.  Funny thing is, is that God used the story of Jonah as confirmation to Frank.  
   So we got the call, what next?  We had never been to Spain, didn't know anyone there, and didn't even know if there was a Calvary Chapel (where we attend church) in Spain. So we did what most would do, and we googled it!  First listing that popped up was the Calvary Chapel Bible college extension campus on the island of Mallorca,Spain.  BAHAHA, so our last name is Mayorga and the island is called Mallorca. Ok, funny to me at least.  Frank went on the college chuch website and looked under the staff section.  He did not find any emails listed and thought to check out if any of the pastors had a facebook.  He was able to find the assistant pastor's facebook page.  Jimmy was from Huntington Beach and had been a long term missionary there for almost five years.  Frank sends him a facebook message just sharing our heart and our desire.  Like only God can do, Jimmy responds saying that he was actually home in HB visiting his family, and tells Frank to meet up for coffee with him.  We were like, "NO WAY!" What are the chances. This was totally God's Providence. Frank met up with Jimmy at the local Starbucks in HB where they talked for hours.  At the end of the meeting, Jimmy invited Frank out to visit in January of 2012.  (BTW- this was 2011).  On a spiritual high, Frank was like Moses coming down from the mountain.  The news burst out of him.  Then reality hit, we started looking at flights and saw the prices...umm..SUPER EXPENSIVE! We decided to start selling some of our personal items like our flat screen t.v., our blue ray player, and Frank's golf clubs.  Praise God, these sales covered his plane ticket. Here are some pictures he took on his trip:

Church sanctuary

Church's cafe

Bars surrounding the church

City of Palma

Beach in Santa Ponsa

Senior Pastor Rafael and "Nena"

   Frank was gone for a week, and we both were stretched and refreshed by God's word.  When he came home, we could not believe how the Lord confirmed the call to us in similar yet different ways. Meanwhile, we placed an application in at the Missions dept. It was imperative, for me, that we had our home churches blessing and support.  After many meetings/interviews, we received the news that we would be commissioned out of Downey and had Pastor Jeff's and the church board's approval.  Praise God!!!!  

  So where are we now?
We are fundraising and trying to raise support.  We have been having yard sales and selling most of our possessions.  I am not going to lie...it was really hard having our first yard sale.  Seeing all of my stuff, on the lawn, just laying there was a moment of deep sadness.  I realized that I was leaving all of this behind and going to an unknown land.  Things would never be the same.  At the same time, I was reminded of Joshua and how he was afraid to lead the children of Israel into the promise land.  God kept reassuring him to be strong and courageous.  I knew that he was calling me to do the same.  

So why am I starting this blog?
I want to share our journey with anyone who wants to follow.  I want to expose the realities of becoming a missionary.  I want to share the triumphs and the failures.  But most of all, I want to share GOD's POWER.  That He may be glorified.

Who knows, perhaps YOU have felt the call.  It may be that this will encourage you.  Who knows?  

I will leave you with a verse:

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope;
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, says my soul, 
THEREFORE I WILL HOPE IN HIM" 
Lamentations 3:21-24 

In Him & until next time,

Darla


P.s. I will post a copy of our support letter if you feel led to be a part of this mission. Or PM me your email if you would like to receive our newsletter :)